Also I was with my trainer today and we had a very mutually agreeable conversation on the manifold attractions of Harry Styles. (Louis is still my favourite! But revealing that and why is betraying JUST A TAD too much info for casual conversation.) And I just like that I can say to a group of any women my age, "One Direction," and they'll go, "Of course" and I'll say, "Harry Styles," and they'll go, "HELL YEAH." I feel weirdly that they're attractive in a way that very much pertains to women - like, because not of in spite of? And also that it's now okay to find younger dudes hot. It's maybe a backwards equality but it's still an equality. In conclusion, Harry Styles. What a scamp.

They have, canonically, 'accidentally' kissed! As one of the many, many tumblrs I now frequent pointed out, Zayn HAS SAID they've kissed yet the entire fandom goes around trying to prove that Louis and Harry have.

(I must say I am having many feelings about your While You Were Sleeping AU being ultimately Liam/Zayn - and Harry can have Louis, which I buy more than Harry/Zayn. OVERINVESTED MUCH?)

Yeahhhhh I have a lot of theories about why no matter how much Zayn tries to make out with Liam, people still generally go, "Harry and Louis!!!" and I think it has a lot to do with Liam. Zayn's pretty in a vaguely ambiguous way, but Liam is very, very much a typical BOY in how he dresses and speaks and walks and presents himself, and so even though he cuddles and kisses and gropes, it doesn't quite catch the fandom imagination.

Hee, well, I don't think I'm writing it (and I just got done writing Harry/Zayn although I'm not entirely convinced by it either) but if I were going to write one it would be that version I think. It's fairly easy to buy Zayn as pining for Liam. He clearly adores Liam, and he cuddles up to him and stares at him and is always going on about Liam's six pack, and Liam... just doesn't ever seem to quite pick up what Zayn's putting down, even though he loves Zayn to death. His "When Zayn was away I was BEREFT I texted him EVERY DAY" stuff is adorable and hilarious, and I'd read a lot of Zayn being just a little too shy/awkward to quite make a move, and Liam never quite working it out. ...I mean, until eventually he DOES, obviously.

Liam is still very ... angular, in the way he hugs and stuff? Like, he's into it, but Harry and Louis can have a way of looking entwined. It is distracting, but also terribly lol. Zayn's practically jumping up and down in the back row shouting "PICK ZIAM! PICK ZIAM!" and ... nobody cares. ;___;

OH NOOOOEEES my life is now filled with sadness! I am so instantly into this ship, mainly because of that picture that makes them look like two kids on the first day of school, that I heart-eyed all over that idea. Liam: why are you hugging me? Zayn: I am completely in love with ... *looks deeply into his eyes* ... your gym regime. Liam: cool story bro. AUGH SO AWESOME.

Liam's SO MUCH BETTER than he used to be. He almost never STARTS the teasing and the touching, but he rolls with it now, and he doesn't mind everyone climbing all over him. (Niall looks a little disgruntled, still.) Liam just... seems to not quite understand WHY they're molesting him and slapping his ass, and he always has this look on his face like, "wait, why do I love these idiots" but he also looks sort of secretly delighted. I think he is a boy who worries a lot about being left out, and he likes being jumped on even if it means Harry keeps hitting him in the balls. (Harry. WHY.) Where Harry and Louis are boys who need touching or they'll DIE.

I care, Zayn! I ship you guys!!!!

Heeeeee, yes, it would be just like that. Zayn trying to be all sexy and alluring and Liam just not noticing at ALL. Because that is his bro, Zayn, who he loves in a totally bro-tastic way. I am just picturing Harry and Louis laughing until they cry every time Zayn's like, "Liam, I just really love... um. Pizza." And Liam's all, "Okay! Me too!"

I TOTALLY get that vibe off Liam - mainly because he seems to get frequently left behind when the others go off in tangents of lol? Like, Zayn gets away with being sleepy and smiling and Niall gives no fucks, as everyone knows, so Harry and Louis lead the show ... and in another situation, I think Liam would be really miserable at being left out and they might purposely leave him out? One of the wonders of this band is that they do love each other lots, so they wouldn't knowingly do that, but Liam probably senses the potential dynamic.

LOLING AND DYING. Especially Liam's chirpy little exclamation marks! And Zayn always singing 'I can love you more than this' around Liam and Liam joining in because dudes gotta practice, you know.

Given how much Liam has talked about being bullied (and so has zayn! They can bond!!) and that Liam is somehow the uncoolest of a very uncool band, I am constantly delighted by how they include him and how there is a place for him in their group. Like. It makes me kind of verklempt. "band of unlikely friends who love and defend eah other" is absolutely my kryptonite and how they pulled me in in the first place. Louis's constant delight at "corrupting" Liam delights me because it means they want him to play with them.

Hee. Liam wouldn't want to make anyone sad! He agrees with whatever zayn suggests. And just totally, totally fails to notice that zayn constantly talks about his six pack.

I unscreened it there! I think there's totally room in fandom for an school AU where Louis and Harry are top dog and secretive and for some reason Zayn and Liam are thrown into their midst and they are sad and lonely and bond! And it turns out Louis and Harry are not mean after all, the end. Also. Pining. This fandom is still at the stage of the quick payoff (except for your fic!) and man, do I ever want some unrequitedness that lasts longer than a paragraph. /masochist